Automatic portioning and weighing arrangement

ABSTRACT

An automatic portioning and weighing arrangement for loose products (15) comprises at least one store drum (2) whereby the store drum (2) comprises at least one portioning capacity (6) wherein separate portions of the products (15) are formed. The weighing arrangement (4) comprises at least one collecting capacity (40) for the loose products. The store drum (2) has been arranged almost horizontally and the portioning capacity (6) extends over almost the complete length of the store drum (2). As a consequence, the chance for choking ups is almost nonexistant on delivery of the loose products (15).

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an automatic portioning and weighingarrangement for loose products, the arrangement comprising at least onestore drum whereby the store drum comprises at least one portioningcapacity wherein separate portions of the products may be formed andwhereby the weighing arrangement comprises at least one collectingcapacity. Examples of such "loose products" are popcorn, chips, frenchfries, sweets, pastery, small metal products or products made from asynthetic material.

Such automatic portioning and weighing arrangements may be used inautomated rapid kitchens, but also in automations which may be served bymeans of a coin or insert piece.

Such an automatic portioning and weighing arrangement is known from theAmerican patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,247. The store drum ofthis portioning and weighing device is obliquely arranged so that with arotating drum the loose products make their way to the lowest part. Theportioning capacity is at the level of this lowest part. The portioningcapacity consists of parts which radially project from the jacket of thedrum. With a rotating drum these parts carry each time a portion ofproducts which is delivered somewhat further in a collecting capacity.This rotation of the drum continues until a specified weight is reachedin the collecting capacity. Then the rotation stops.

This arrangement according to the state of the art, however, displaysdifferent drawbacks: First, the portioning capacity is rather small, asa consequence the chance for choking ups with the delivery of productsis great. Next, a lot of space is needed around the store drum becauseof the structure of the portioning capacities. The weighing is alsomostly inaccurate: Rest product may be wedged at the delivery valve ofthe portioning capacity and may, after the rotation of the store drumhas ended, so after the desired weight has been reached, still fall intothe collecting capacity in such a way that the eventually obtainedweight is greater than the adjusted weight. Finally, the store drum isdifficult to clean.

The object of the invention is to avoid the above mentioned drawbacks.

The invention provides an automatic portioning and weighing arrangementfor loose products, the arrangement comprising at least one store drumwhereby the store drum comprises at least one portioning capacitywherein separate portions of the products may be formed and whereby theweighing arrangement comprises at least one collecting capacity. Thestore drum is almost horizontally arranged and the portioning capacityextends over almost the complete length of the store drum. Hence thereis a rather large portioning capacity, which makes the chance forchoking ups almost non-existant.

According to a preferable embodiment, the store drum is cylindrical andthe portioning capacity is completely within the circumference of thestore drum. This has the advantage that the store drum takes littlespace.

Preferably, the portioning capacity is formed by a part of the outerjacket of the store drum and by the delivery valve. Preferably, thedelivery valve is rotatable around an axle which is excentric and almostparallel to the axis of the store drum over the whole length of thestore drum and the rotation of the delivery valve is commanded by meansof a cam. Preferably, the arrangement is further provided with a fillingvalve which is rotatable around the same axle as the delivery valve andwhereby the delivery valve rests on the filling valve in the deliveryposition. To fill the store drum the delivery valve is not in thedelivery position and the filling valve is brought against the deliveryvalve. The advantage of such a system of valves is that there is aminimum amount of machine parts and that cleaning is easy.

According to a preferable embodiment, the portioning and weighingarrangement is further provided with an endless conveyor belt where theloose products fall on on delivery from the portioning capacity. Thisbelt carries the products to the weighing arrangement. Such anembodiment has as an advantage that the belt functions as a kind ofbuffer between the store drum with the portioning capacity and theweighing arrangement : The weighing arrangement does no longer order therotation of the store drum. Rest product falls always on the belt andnot in the collecting capacity of the weighing arrangement such thataccurate measurements may be done. Preferably, the circumferentialvelocity of the belt and the rotation of the store drum are so regulatedthat the belt receives one portion of loose products every halfrevolution.

According to another preferable embodiment, the weighing arrangement isprovided with a blocking slide which may block all possible delivery ofloose products to the collecting capacity of the weighing arrangement.Such an embodiment also increases the chance for accurate measurements:Once the adjusted weight has been reached, the blocking slide closes andno products, even no rest product, may enter the collecting capacity.

According to a particular and preferable embodiment, the portioning andweighing arrangement is provided with two cylindrical store drums whichare in parallel positioned adjacent to one another in such a way thatboth may deliver portions of loose products to the same weighingarrangement. Such a positioning allows for a continuous working if oneof both store drums must be filled or cleaned.

According to another particular and preferable embodiment the portioningand weighing arrangement is provided with two collecting capacitieswhich are horizontally movable and which may serve two separate workingup installations. Such an embodiment leads to an accelerated working :while the one quantity is being weighed, the other quantity may alreadybe delivered to the working up installation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further illustrated by way of an example of anembodiment and with reference to figures whereby

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portioning and weighing arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a portioning and weighing arrangement;

FIG. 3 is an upper view of a weighing arrangement alone;

FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d) show different positions of the store drum of theportioning and weighing arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 an embodiment of a portioning and weighingarrangement according to the invention comprises a housing 1, whereintwo horizontally arranged store drums 2,2' are arranged. Through a smalldoor 11 the store drums 2,2' can be reached in order to fill or to cleanthem. The store drums 2,2' each rotate around a horizontal axis 21,21'and may be driven by means of a driving wheel 23,23' a chain 25,25' anda toothed wheel 27,27' In front of the store drums 2,2' and somewhatlower is the weighing arrangement 4.

Within the circumference of the store drum 2,2' is the portioningcapacity 6,6' which is formed by a delivery valve 8,8' and by thenearest part 29,29' of the outer jacket of the store drum 2,2'. Thisportioning capacity 6,6' extends over the length of the store drum 2,2'.The delivery valve 8,8' is fixedly connected to an axle 82,82' which isrotatably mounted through both extremities of the drum. The deliveryvalve 8,8' is further provided with a protruding part 84,84' whichcooperates with a cam 10,10' and which determines in this way theposition of the delivery valve 8,8'. Further there is provided a fillingvalve 12,12' which is rotatable around the same axle 82,82' as thedelivery valve 8,8'. In closed position the filling valve 12,12' ismaintained by means of a pawl 122,122' (see left drum 2 on FIG. 1). Inopen position the filling valve 12,12' is rotated against the deliveryvalve 8,8' (see right drum 2' on FIG. 1).

A funnel like guiding 14 takes care that loose products 15 fall on aconveyor belt 16 at their delivery. This conveyor belt 16 is moved onover two wheels 164,166 one of which is driven. At the end of theconveyor belt 16 the products 15 fall on a blocking slide 18 or in theweighing capacity 40.

This slide 18 is commanded by means of an electromagnetic draw-spring182 and may close the supply to the weighing capacity 40. If the supplyto the weighing capacity is not closed, then the piston 184 of theelectromagnetic drawspring 182 is completely in the cylinder 186.

The weighing arrangement 4 consists of two weighing capacities 40 whichare formed by three blocks 41 which are fixedly connected to oneanother. These blocks 41 may be guided horizontally between an upperguiding 42 and an under guiding 43. At the bottom the weighingcapacities are closed each time by means of a weighing valve 44 which isrotatable around a horizontal axle 45. This axle 45 is provided with anadjustable counter-weight 46 and with a point of contact 47 which maycommand a switch (not shown). This switch may give a signal to theabove-mentioned electromagnetic draw-spring 182. By means of an axle 48which is fixedly connected with a block 41, a rod 49, a chain 50 and amotor 51 the blocks may be moved between two extreme positions: on FIG.1 one position is presented in full lines and the other position indotted lines. The filling of the weighing capacity 40 takes placethrough one central opening in the upper guiding 42, the emptying of theweighing capacities 40 takes place at the right or at the left side. Asa consequence, two working up units may be served. Moreover, oneprocessing unit may be served from one weighing capacity 40, while theother weighing capacity 40 is being filled.

Referring to FIG. 4, the working of the storage drum 2 is as follows: inthe position presented in FIG. 4(a) the filling valve 12 is held bymeans of a pawl 122 and the delivery valve has just come from thedelivery position. The store drum 2 (together with the valves 8 and 12)rotates in the direction of the arrow, while the loose products 15remain more or less at the bottom in the store drum 2. The cam 10 doesnot rotate. When the delivery valve 8 comes at the bottom, it takes someof the loose products 15 with it (see FIG. 4(b)). The loose products 15are then in the portioning capacity 6 which is formed by a part of theouter jacket 29 and by the delivery valve 8. When the delivery valve 8is brought somewhat higher than the point shown by FIG. 4(b) then theprotruding part 84 is released in the recess of the cam 10 and thedelivery valve 8 overturns thereby moving the delivery valve 8 from itscollection position (shown by dashed-line identified by reference number8' in FIG. 4(c)) to its delivery position (shown in solid line in FIG.4(c)) where it is disposed against the filling valve 12 and in this wayreleases the formed portion of loose products, such as shown on FIG.4(c) The loose products 15 land on the conveyor belt 16 and are broughtto one of the two weighing capacities. The number of loose products isgradually growing until the desired weight--which is adjustable by meansof the counterweight 46--is reached. Then contact point 47 looses adetermined contact, which gives a signal to the electromagneticdraw-spring 182 which has the blocking slide close the weighing capacitysuch that no product can fall anymore into the weighing capacity. Restproduct 15 which has possibly still been supplied, is heaping up on theblocking slide 18. As a consequence, the weighing is accurate because itcannot be falsified by rest product which has sporadically stayedbehind. Subsequently, the blocks 41 are moved to the other extremeposition such that the weighing valve 44 may supply the products 15 tothe one working up unit (not shown) through an opening in the underguiding 43. In the meantime the other weighing capacity 40 has takenposition under the central opening and the blocking slide 18 releasesthis weighing capacity 40, after which this may also be filled with thedesired quantity of products 15.

Preferably, the whole may be provided with time switches andsynchronisation means (both not shown), which are well known from theprior art.

For example, the switching from the one store drum 2 to the other storedrum 2' may be carried out automatically : this may be done at thebeginning of each weighing activity by having a time switch run fromzero until the end of a time period corresponding to the duration forone portioning (is equal to the time the conveyor belt 16 needs to makehalf a circulation). If the weighing has not ended hereafter, this meansthat the one drum 2 is empty. By means of a switch the rotation of thisone drum 2 is ended and the motor of the other drum 2' is started.

In the position shown in FIG. 4(d) the delivery valve 8 is no longer inthe delivery position (protruding part 84 is no longer in the recess ofcam 10), but is in its collection position. Furthermore, the fillingvalve is no longer held by the pawl 122 to allow the filling valve 12 tobe moved from its operative position (shown in dashed-line in FIG. 4(d))to its filling position (shown in solid line in FIG. 4(d) where it restsagainst the delivery valve 8. In this filling position the store drum 2can be cleaned or filled.

I claim:
 1. An automatic portioning and weighing arrangement for looseproducts, said arrangement comprising:a collecting capacity forcollecting loose products; an outer jacket; at least one cylindricalstore drum which is rotatable about a central axis thereof and disposedsubstantially horizontally within said outer jacket; an eccentric axledisposed substantially parallel to said central axis of said cylindricalstore drum; a delivery valve pivotally connected at one end thereof tosaid eccentric axle so as to be pivotally movable thereabout betweencollection and delivery positions; a filing valve which is alsopivotally connected at one end thereof to said eccentric axle so as tobe pivotally movable thereabout between operative and filling positions;wherein said store drum includes a portioning capacity extendingsubstantially over a complete length of said store drum, said portioningcapacity being defined collectively by a part of said outer jacket andsaid delivery valve when in said collection position thereof; saidarrangement further comprises a cam which actuates said delivery valvein response to rotation of said store drum to cause said delivery valveto pivotally move from said collection position into said deliveryposition against said filling valve in said operative position thereofto allow said products in said portioning capacity to be dischargedtherefrom; and wherein said filling valve is pivotally movable from saidoperative position into said filling position against said deliveryvalve in said collection position to thereby allow loose product to beintroduced into said store drum.
 2. A portioning and weighingarrangement according to claim 1, which further comprises an endlessbelt disposed between said store drum and said collection capacity forreceiving said products discharged from said portioning capacity by saiddelivery valve when in said delivery position thereof and transferringsaid discharged products to said collection capacity.
 3. A portioningand weighing arrangement according to claim 2, further comprising ablocking slide which is movable into a position to block all possibledelivery of said products to said collecting capacity.
 4. A portioningand weighing arrangement according to claim 3, wherein two of saidcylindrical store drums are provided and are positioned parallel andadjacent one another in such a way that both said store drums arecapable of delivering portions of loose products to said collectingcapacity.
 5. A portioning and weighing arrangement according to claim 4,wherein two collecting capacities are provided which are horizontallymovable to service two separate working installations.